May 18th, 2010

BIG PICTURE: This is still hard. I’m feeling so compelled by the potential of SOMETHING which currently exists as a pile of puzzle pieces. I listed 5 of them in a post to the Northumbria Bulletin Board just yesterday:

1 Contemplative (life style)

2 Celtic Christianity

3 Simple Living

4 Social Action

5 Intentional Community

A sixth one has solidified today:

6 Business as ministry

How the HELL would these 6 things connect into something that’s coherent? I feel the urge to force them together. Perhaps the whole “patient endurance” message applies to this too.

CLASS WORK: O.T.: Same. I’m intrigued by the three fold role of the Messiah as represented in the O.T. King, Priest and Prophet. Very cool, faith building stuff. Just hard to get to the good stuff through the piles of dry sand. Preaching messages: good general stuff. Some practical things about rooting your talks in scripture, planning “series” as opposed to “serials” guarding and arranging your time. Good stuff.

READ/RITE/REFLECT; MBE: In chapter 2 he lists 8 qualities required to be an MBE and insists that if you don’t have them, wait on God to develop them, or acknowledge that you might not be the guy. They are:

1. Visionary

2. Reliant (start small)

3. Humility

4. Honesty

5. Responsibility (excellence)

6. Focus

7. Persistency

8. Generosity

It’s so funny. 10 years ago this list could have fired me up. To be honest, today it makes me tired. I think I know how Rick feels. I’m not “risk averse” as Rick describes himself…I’m just tired. When you read the several paragraphs the author wrote to flesh out each of these qualities, you begin to notice some similar adjectives and a similar “feel” to several of these qualities. So much so that I think several could be combined into ONE quality: 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 could be summarized as PASSION and so the list would really look like this:

1. PASSION (above all else)

2. Humility

3. Honesty

4. Generosity

There-in lies a fear. I’m realizing that I’m more tired than passionate. The first 5 things on my personal list don’t make me feel tired. But this MBE thing does. I resonate with it; it makes sense; I think we HAVE to move in this direction; it’s exciting; and I’m exhausted just thinking about it.